


Closed Position

by sabinelagrande



Series: Possession [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dancing Lessons, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-09-06 21:16:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8769613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabinelagrande/pseuds/sabinelagrande
Summary: Percy is a terrible dancer.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blackglass](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackglass/gifts).



> This is set in the same AU as [In Your Possession](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8585926/chapters/19687864) and takes place when Percy and Vex are teenagers. It will probably make more sense if you read that first.

"No," Miss Suzanna says, pinching the bridge of her nose. "No, Percival, that is not even close to being right."

Vex doesn't know how many times Miss Suzanna has had to say that today, in various phrasings. This is their second dancing lesson, and Percy seems to have forgotten everything from the first one, on top of being utterly stymied by the contents of the second. He's so bad that Vex wonders if he's doing it on purpose to get out of going to the ball; after all, that's what Vax would do. Then again, it's Percy, who's smarter than that. He'll have to go no matter how shitty his dancing is, and besides, he seems excited about the event, doubtless so he can pick up snatches of the kind of high-minded political maneuvering that fascinates him.

Vex knows all about being a pawn in that game, and it has long since lost his appeal. If she actually said that, Percy would say something about how they are all mere pieces on a grand board, blah blah gain control, blah blah make your own destiny blah, and Vex would probably shoot him the bird and walk away.

"Vex'ahlia, you must stop compensating for him," Miss Suzanna says. "It's very sweet of you to want to help, but it's very poor dancing form. You won't be able to dance with someone who has any idea what he's doing if you keep backleading. No offense, Percival."

"None taken," Percy says.

"You can take a break while Percival and I go through the steps again," Miss Suzanna says. Vex gladly takes the respite, going over to the wall of the ballroom, where a number of chairs are stacked. Vax is perched on top of one of the stacks, watching the proceedings, and Vex makes a face at him, one that expresses her feelings on the subject of formal dancing in general.

"You're really bad at this," Vax says, before popping a blackberry into his mouth.

"Where did you get those?" Vex asks, grabbing for them, and Vax holds them out of her reach.

"I snuck into the kitchen," he says. "I'll give you some as soon as you can do that pattern without screwing it up."

"It's not my fault," she says. "Don't hold my berries hostage because Percy can't dance to save his life."

"I heard that," Percy calls from across the room.

"I know," Vex calls back.

"They're not your berries," Vax says, eating another one. "I stole them fair and square. I'm just being considerate to my dearest sister by offering to share."

Vex rolls her eyes. "You're such an a-"

"Vex'ahlia, if you would join us?" Miss Suzanna says, and Vex sighs quietly. Vax takes pity on her, tossing her a berry that she deftly catches and promptly eats. She gives Vax a wink before returning to her lesson.

Vex walks back over, and Percy holds out his arms; she slots into them neatly, one hand in his and the other on his opposite arm, Percy's other hand on her back. At least Percy does know how to do that much, which is actually an improvement over last time.

"We'll take this slowly," Miss Suzanna says. "Percival, if you have to look at your feet, just do it for now. We can fix that later if you can only get these steps down. Vex'ahlia, don't bail him out when he does it wrong. Get ready." She snaps her fingers. "One, two-and, three, two, two-and, three-"

A miraculous thing happens; Percy steps forward and Vex steps back, and Percy does not trip over his own feet or step on Vex's. All Vex can see is the top of his head, so intently is he focused on getting the steps right, but Percy miraculously manages to dance for a full thirty seconds without screwing it up.

"Stop," Miss Suzanna says. "I don't know what happened, but that was _much_ better. Excellent work, both of you."

"I didn't think I'd live to hear you say that," Percy says.

"Now this time, I want you to look in Vex'ahlia's eyes," she says. "Don't look at your feet. She's much more interesting." She counts off again, snapping to the beat, and the two of them begin to move.

It's an odd feeling to be so close and have Percy looking right at her. It feels awfully intimate, and Vex laughs nervously, wanting something to defuse the situation. Percy is not laughing, though he smiles at her, and somehow that makes it worse. She feels hot all over, hyperaware of his hands on her, the way he moves the one on her back to pull her a little closer.

She's rarely so near to Percy, and up close he is distracting. He smells good, like books and the fragrant lavender that is everywhere in the castle this time of year, and Vex finds herself stepping just a fraction closer. She realizes, maybe for the first time, that all this is hers, that Percy belongs to her as much as she belongs to the de Rolos. She's not used to having things to keep, things that aren't just provisional; before she came here she had Vax and nothing more, but her world is opening up. There's a power in it, in having a solid ground to work from, and Percy is part of that, a cornerstone, but he's more than that, too, almost a man and all Vex's, and he's inching forward now, and if Vex just leaned up-

They bump into each other.

Miss Suzanna steps in, moving Percy's hand up to Vex's back from where it has migrated to her waist. "Maybe just look past each other," she says knowingly, and Percy blushes. "Now try it faster."

They start again, and it's easier when she doesn't have to look at him, even if his proximity is still distracting. She can't get it out of her head, Percy as hers, and she doesn't know if she'll ever be able to.

"I'll share my blackberries with you," Vex says impulsively, not moving her head.

"You're out of luck," Percy says. "Vax already ran off with them."

"Then we'll steal some more," she replies.

"You're a bad influence," he says, "but I'll happily eat stolen blackberries with you."

"Good," Vex says, squeezing his hand, and they dance on.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] In Your Possession & Closed Position](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12304536) by [Jadesfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jadesfire/pseuds/Jadesfire)




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